US Gevo supplies bio-isobutanol gasoline for marine engine study

24 July 2013 16:46[Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Gevo is supplying the US Coast Guard with renewable isobutanol-blended gasoline for a study on its use as a drop-in fuel for marine engines, the US biochemicals producer said on Wednesday.

The Coast Guard’s research and development (R&D) centre in Yorktown, Virginia, has completed a three-month testing of Gevo’s 16.1% renewable isobutanol fuel blend on Honda engines. It is now using the fuel as part of a 12-month operational study on the marine engines on the Coast Guard’s platform boats.

“We are pleased so far with our testing of isobutanol as a potential alternative to ethanol as a blend stock in gasoline for marine applications,” said Mike Coleman, project manager at the Coast Guard’s R&D centre.

“All testing so far has been positive, and when the Yorktown tests are completed next year, we expect to have the information available to allow a decision on whether 16.1% isobutanol fuel blends will be certified for use in the Coast Guard gasoline engine fleet.”

Gevo’s CEO Patrick Gruber said the company’s isobutanol-blended gasoline is a clean-burning drop-in fuel with low-water solvency and non-corrosive characteristics and is designed to be compliant with marine fuel specifications.